Bizstory Blog

How ALT tags enhance your website content

Make sure your all content is web friendly

This includes photo and video content. It’s not enough to write a great a great story, you must also support it by offering your readers sharp, strong imagery to make a lasting impression.

But this is where I tell you it's not all about looks. Adding text to your images is simply the next step in ensuring your content is completely optimised for your readership and the digital landscape.What type of text is this? Microcontent known as ALT tags.

What are ALT tags?

An ALT tag is alternative text applied to the HTML description of online images. When an image does not load or is blocked, your ALT tag will be displayed in its place.

Why use ALT tags?

Your online content can benefit from the use of ALT tags because they make your web pages and emails more user friendly and search engine friendly. Here's how:

SEO opportunity realised. ALT tags are detected by search engines as part of your content, which means they are the perfect place to insert keywords. Don’t miss these semi-hidden opportunities to boost your Google search rankings.

Defeat image blockers. Your images may not appear on all of your audience's screens due to image blocking features, which are built into many email clients. ALT tags are the text that appears, instead of that confusing blank box that leads to a whole lot of nothing.

Adaptability/accessibility. Screen readers, web browsers used by blind and visually impaired people, use ALT tags to tell their users what's in the image. If you want your content to be as far reaching as possible, this ensures you include your entire audience.

To recap:

Write ALT tags with your readers in mind.

If your audience cannot view your images (because of blockers, vision impairment, or even temporary errors), what value are these elements offering? Zero.

See this as an opportunity to reinforce your message and gain clicks. Just think, do you really want to carefully craft 500 words to have your audience do nothing when an image based call to action fails to display? Don’t be left with Alt tag regret.

And of course, writing ALT tags is one more piece to the SEO puzzle. You must do this, while remembering to include keywords, to gain Google’s approval.

Stop missing this opportunity:

We may live in a visual and increasingly digital world but imagery only supports when it properly loads. ALT tags allow you to give your readers 'that extra something' … and they allow you to save face when things don’t quite go to plan.

If your online content is missing this small but crucial content, you’ll want to start writing!